NIDA CTN-0030: Prescription Opiate Abuse Treatment Study (POATS)
This was a randomized outpatient study for treatment-seeking participants dependent on prescription opioid analgesics. The primary objective was to determine whether the addition of individual drug counseling to the prescription of buprenorphine/naloxone (Bup/Nx) and Standard Medical Management (SMM) improves outcome. Participants were randomized at the beginning of each of two phases to receive BUP/NX paired with either Standard Medical Management (SMM) or Enhanced Medical Management (EMM; defined as SMM plus individual counseling). Six hundred and fifty three participants were randomized into Phase 1, and 360 participants were randomized into Phase 2.
Part of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network. The Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute serves as the Regional Research and Training Center (RRTC) of the Pacific Northwest Node, which participated in this protocol.
Investigators
Roger Weiss, MD Co-Lead Investigator (Harvard Medical School)
Walter Ling, MD Co-Lead Investigator (UCLA)
Project Staff
Fund Information
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Start: May 2006
End: January 2013
Status: completed
Project Site
CTN Dissemination Library protocol page for CTN-0030
Project Results
Prescription opioid–dependent patients are most likely to reduce opioid use during buprenorphine-naloxone treatment. However, if tapered off buprenorphine-naloxone, even after 12 weeks of treatment, the likelihood of an unsuccessful outcome is high, even in patients receiving counseling in addition to standard medical management.
Citation: Weiss RD, et al. Adjunctive Counseling During Brief and Extended Buprenorphine-Naloxone Treatment for Prescription Opioid Dependence: A 2-Phase Randomized Controlled Trial. Archives of General Psychiatry 2011 (in press). [free online]
